How do you keep your liquids liquid in the absence of heat from utility companies, in the dead of winter?

Do you store your drums around the fire in your house's 'common room?'

Do you store your drums in the basement, with the assumption that they will then be below the ground freeze level?

Last thing anyone wants is bursting water bags because of freezing.

-- Charlotte (CWWATTS@Synopsis.com), December 03, 1999

Answers

Well, Here is what I did. Last year (1998) I dug trough the wall of my basement under the garage and created an opening big enugh to store 6 55 gal waterdrums and install 4 shelfs for stuff I dont want to freeze. I build a wall from 4x4s, 1inch plywood and 4 inch styrofome (sp) same for the ceiling.I then refilled the dirt around the chamber. I then installed an old standup fridge into the opening.I used foem in the can to make a tight seal. This fridge has all the inside stuff and the back wall removed so that it just has the outer shell and door.I wraped the outer shell with 4 inch of r19 insolation ,build a sheet rock box around it and just let the front door be exposed. Last winter during the power outage from the ice storm the temerature inside NEVER went below about 38 deg. even tho the outsite was in the single digits most of the time.

I know its too late for people to copy that BUT you do have time to get some r19 insulation, some 2x4 and the blue styrofoam sheets.

first do NOT set the water barrels on the concreate floor.

Set them on a sheet of plywood and have that sheet sit on a sheet of 1/2 inch minimum thicknes blue styrofoam.

Next build an inclosure using the 2x4 studs and the styrofoam on the inside as wall.

Install your r19 between the studs. Install styrofoame sheets as outsite wall.

Build a door that is made from 3/4 inch plywood and glue styrofoam on the inside and outside two layers on each side.

Make sure the door is closing tight. If you find an old fridge use it, it has a great seal on the door.

-- no frozen water here (noIcehere@winter.cold), December 03, 1999.

I heard that "below ground level" (underground basements, cellars) stay pretty close to 55 degrees - clearly above freezing. This assumes your basement floor is below the "frost line".

-- Anonymous999 (Anonymous999@Anonymous999.xxx), December 03, 1999.

The depth to which the soil freezes in the more northern part of the U.S. depends to some extent on the snow cover thickness during times of the coldest temperatures. Most of Minnesota is without snow cover at the moment (yes, this is unusual), and there is much concern that when subzero temperatures do arrive, that the ground will freeze to a greater depth than usual due to the decreased insulating effect that snow usually provides the soil. If this snow-cover situation is true of your area as well, you may want to take it into consideration for such plans as were described above.

my site: www.y2ksafeminnesota.com

-- MinnesotaSmith (y2ksafeminnesota@hotmail.com), December 03, 1999.